David de Gea picked out the playmaker. He had the ball at his feet in the penalty area and slid a forward pass to Manchester United’s new regista. It was Erik ten Hag’s vision being put into practice. It was a sign that an old dog could learn new tricks.
Or not. The pass was telegraphed, with Mathias Jensen snapping at Christian Eriksen’s heels. And while one Dane received the ball, he was soon dispossessed by another. Jensen duly dispatched a shot past De Gea. Brentford 2 Manchester United 0, and it still wasn’t the Spaniard’s worst error of the first 18 minutes.
